Clutch controlling apparatus



R. R. HAWKINS CLUTCH CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

Feb; 4, 1941.

Filed Nov. 10, 1939 Patented Feb. 4, w ll TEN FFEE

to Western Electric Company, Incorporated,

New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 10, 1939, Serial No. 303,774

6 Claims.

This invention relates to clutch controlling apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for controlling the operation of a punch press'clutch, which may be easily manipulated to connect the press for continuous operation or non-repeat operation.

In punch presses having a rolling key type of clutch mechanism, wherein the flywheel of the press is connected to the operating shaft by a key which is permitted to roll into a keyway, mechanism has been provided whereby a control lever may be interconnected with a snap latch for actuating a rack which, in turn, rolls a clutch dog out of a path of a projection on the rolling key when the press is adapted to perform one operation and then stop. In these devices of the type previously known, provisions were made whereby the rack could be connected directly to the operating lever by disconnecting the operating lever from the snap latch and connecting it to the rack. The mechanism provided for making this change was such that it required a relatively skilled mechanic to make the change.

It is an object of thepresent invention to simplify the control mechanism for punch press clutches to make them more readily changeable for different types of operation.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the snap latch of the press is pivotally connected to a portion of the actuating lever or treadle of the press and a rod pivotally connected to the rack is provided with a threaded extension which passes through the aforementioned portion of the treadle mechanism and has; a pair of knurled thumb nuts threadedthereon whereby if it is desired to utilize the punch press for continuous and repeated operations, the treadle may be connected to the rack by tightening the thumb nuts against the portion of the: treadle mechanism through which the threaded rod extends and when it is desired to change the punch press back to the condition where it will operate once and then stop, the thumb nuts need simply 5 be loosened and the snap latch will again control the operations of the rack.

A better understanding of the invention will be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational view on a greatly reduced scale of a punch press embodying the features of this invention; 7

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational View of the hub of the flywheel of the punch press shown in Fig. l .and the clutch actuating mechanism thereof, parts being broken away to more clearly illustrate the mechanism; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view in side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2, parts of the apparatus being broken away to more 5 clearly illustrate the construction of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate the same parts throughout the several views, in Fig. 1 there is 10 shown a conventional punch press having the usual framework 5 which supports a bolster plate 6, upon which suitable dies (not shown) may be mounted for cooperation with punches (not shown) mounted upon a ram '7. The punch press mechanism includes a flywheel 8, which may be constantly driven from any suitable source of power and which may be connected to shaft 9 for actuating the ram 1 by depressing a treadle l0 pivoted on the framework 5 at H and having a treadle rod l2 connected to it and extending upwardly to the control mechanism of the punch press.

It will be understood that, while a particular type of press has been shown herein in Fig. 1, any suitable press controlled by a foot treadle may be provided without departing from the scope of the invention, which relates to the method of controlling the clutch of the press.

The shaft 9, which actuates the ram 1, is suitably journalled in the upper portion of the framework 5 and supports, at its outer end (left end, Fig. 3) the flywheel 8, whereas the corn trol mechanism for controlling the operation of the shaft 9 is mounted upon the framework 5 between the framework and the flywheel 8. Fixed to the framework 5 is an irregularly shaped guide plate having extending outwardly therefrom a pair of bearings 2| and 22, in which there is joiunalled a short shaft 23. The shaft 23 has fixed to its outer end a dog 24, which is normally held in a predetermined rotative position by a coil spring 25, which is fixed to the bearing 2| and the shaft 23 and surrounds the shaft to normally urge the dog 24 to assume the position as shown in Fig. 3. Mounted upon the shaft 23, intermediate the bearings 2| and 24, is a pinion 26, which meshes with a rack 21. It is believed to be obvious that the coil spring 25, acting through the shaft 23 and pinion 26, will tend to hold the rack 21 in its uppermost position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the rack being movable vertically in the guide plate 20, which has a restraining portion 28 at its upper end for preventing the rack 21 from moving away from the framework 5. A slot 29, formed in the rack 21, receives a key 30 extending outwardly from the guide plate 20 to guide the rack 21 in its vertical movements. The rack carries and has pivotally fixed to its lower end a rod 3|, the lower end of which is threaded, as shown at 32, to receive knurled thumb nuts 33-33 and the rod 3| extending through a block 34 fixed to the upper end of the treadle rod I2. Fixed to the block 34 is one end of a contractile spring 35, the other end of which is fixed to the framework 5 normally to hold the treadle H] in its uppermost position, as shown.

Fixed to the block 34 is a second rod 40, which has pivotally connected to its upper end. a snap latch 4|, which is movable vertically between the restraining portion 28 and the base of the guide plate 2|]. The latch 4| is normally urged to the left (Fig. 2) by a compression spring 42 surrounding a pin 43, which is pivotedto the latch 4| and extends through a slot in a bracket 44 mounted on the side of the guide plate 26,

the spring 42 being interposed between the left hand surface (Fig. 2) of the bracket 44 and the right hand surface of the latch 4|. The latch 4| may be moved about the pivotal connection between it and the threaded rod 40, being permitted to move to the right due to the fact that the restraining portion 28 is cut away as shown at 45 to permit such movement of the latch. Extending outwardly to the left (Fig. 2) from the upper end of the latch 4| is a cam surface 46, which cooperates with a cam 48 fixed to the shaft 9 so that upon rotation of the shaft 9, the cam 48 will engage the cam surface 46 of the latch 4| and cam it to the right (Fig. 2) to move a latching shoulder 56 of the latch 4| out of engagement with the top of the rack 21.

Keyed to the flywheel 8, by means of a key 66, is a collar 6|, which has a notch 62 formed therein to receive a rolling key 63 mounted in the shaft 9 and in a pair of collars 65 and 66, which are fixed to the shaft. The rolling key 63 has a portion thereof cut away at 61 normally to permit the flywheel 8 to rotate with respect to the shaft 9, the key 63 being rotatable between the shaft 9 and collars 65 and 66 and being normally urged to rotate counter-clockwise about its axis by a. torsion spring 68 surrounding areduced portion 69 of the key. The torsion spring 68 is fixed to the key 63 and to an adjusting member 16, which is held in place between'the collar 65 and shaft 9 by a set screw 1|. Mounted upon the right end (Fig. 3) of the rolling key 63 is an arm 13, which cooperates with the dog 24 andwhich, upon striking the dog, will be moved in a clockwise direction to roll the key 63 out of the notch 62.

A better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the following brief statement of the mode of operation thereof. After power has been supplied to the flywheel 8 to rotate it in the direction indicated by the arrow (Figs. 1 and 2) the operating mechanism for the. punch press ram 1 may be connected to the flywheel 8, to drive the ram 1, by depressing the treadle In. If it is desired to have the ram 1 operate repeatedly so long as the treadle I0 is held in its lowermost position, thethumb nuts 33 may be turned on the threaded portion 32 of the rod 3| to the position shown and consequently when the treadle I0 is moved downwardly, the treadle rod l2 will move with it and carry the rod 3| downwardly from the position shown. As the rod 3| moves downwardly, it will punch presses.

pull the rack 21 with it, thereby to rotate the pinion 26 and through it the shaft 23 to move the dog 24 in a clockwise direction (Fig. 3) and out of the path of the arm 13. As soon as the dog 24 moves out of the path of the arm 13, the torsion spring 68 will tend to rotate the rolling key 63. However, the key 63 will not be permitted to rotate due to the engagement of the portion 61 thereof with the inner face of the collar 6| until the flywheel 8 carries the collar 6| around to a position where the rolling key 63 may roll into the notch 62 in the collar 6|. As soon as the key 63 has rolled into the notch 62, the shaft 9 will be driven with the flywheel and will cause repeated reciprocation of the ram 1 through the usual crank mechanism provided in The shaft 9 will continue to rotate with the flywheel 8 until the treadle I0 is released to permit the torsion spring 25 to move the shaft 23 in a counter-clockwise direction, drawing the rack 21 and the associated parts upwardly and rotating the dog 24 into the path of the arm 13. As soon as the dog 24 arrives in the path of the arm 13, the arm 13 will strike the dog and rotate the rolling key 63 to the position shown, thereby to stop rotation of the shaft 9 and permit the flywheel 8 to rotate without driving the shaft 9.

If it isdesired to operate the ram 1 once for each depression of the treadle II], it is only necessary to loosen the thumb nuts 33, thereby to transfer control of the rolling key 63 to the snap latch 4|. If it is assumed that the thumb nuts 33 have been loosened, depression of the treadle l0 will move the treadle rod |2 downwardly and since the rod 3| and block 34 may now move relative one to another, the rod 40 will move the trip latch 4| downwardly and since the shoulder 5|] of the latch 4| is in engagement with the upper end of the rack 21, the rack 21 will be moved downwardly with the latch 4| to drive the dog 24 out of the path of the arm 13. As soon as the notch 62 in collar 6| reaches the rolling key 63, the key 63 will roll into the notch 62 and the shaft 9 will be driven by the flywheel 8. After approximately one-half of a revolution of the shaft 9, the high point of the cam 48 will strike the cam surface 46 of the latch 4| and rock the latch 4| to the right (Fig. 2) against the action of the spring 42, thereby permitting the torsion spring 25 to drive the rack 21 back to the position shown due to the disengagement of the latching shoulder from the top of the rack 21, and the dog 24 will, therefore, be moved back into the path of the arm 13 to disengage the shaft 9 from the flywheel 8 the next time the rolling key 63 arrives at the position shown. As long as the treadle I0 is held in its lowermost position with the machine in the condition just described, the rack 21 will stay in the position shown although the latch 4| is in its lowermost position since the rack will have moved upwardly with respect to the latch 4|. As soon as the treadle I0 is released, the spring 35 will move the treadle rod |2 upwardly, the latch 4| upwardly, and as soon as the latch reaches its uppermost position, the shoulder 5|] will again be snapped into engagement with the top of the rack 21 by the spring 42, thus restoring the machine to normal.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described hereinbefore, it will be understood that some modifications thereof may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a clutch controlling apparatus, a rack movable to render the clutch operative, a snap latch normally engaging the rack to move it, means for disengaging the latch from the rack each time the press operates, means for normally urging the rack toa position to render the clutch inoperative, a treadle actuated block connected to said latch, a manually adjustable means for connecting said block to the rack, said means including a pair of thumb nuts, and a threaded rod connected to the rack and extending through the treadle actuated block.

2. In a clutch controlling apparatus, a rack movable to render the clutch operative, means for normally urging the rack to a position to render the clutch inoperative, a snap latch associated with the rack for moving the rack to render the clutch operative, means for disengaging the snap latch from the rack each time the press operates, a treadle actuated block connected to the snap latch, a threaded rod extending through the treadle actuated block and pivoted on the rack, and a pair of thumb nuts threaded on said threaded rod.

3. In a clutch controlling apparatus, a rack movable to render the clutch operative, means for normally urging the rack to a position to render the clutch inoperative, a snap latch associated with the rack for moving the rack to render the clutch operative, means for disengaging the snap latch from the rack each time the press operates, a treadle actuated block connected to the snap latch, a threaded rod extending through the treadle actuated block and pivoted on the rack, and a pair of thumb nuts threaded on said threaded rod, said threaded rod being normally movable relative to the treadle actuated block.

4. In a clutch controlling apparatus, a rack movable to render the clutch operative, means for normally urging the rack to a position to render the clutch inoperative, a snap latch associated with the rack for moving the rack to render the clutch operative, means for disengaging the snap latch from the rack each time the press operates, a treadle actuated block connected to the snap latch, a threaded rod-extending through the treadle actuated block and pivoted on the rack, and a pair of thumb nuts threaded on said threaded rod, said threaded rod being normally movable relative to the treadle actuated block when said thumb nuts are in a predetermined position.

5. In a clutch controlling apparatus, a treadle, a block interconnected with the treadle, a snap latch pivotally attached to the block, a rack adapted to be actuated by said snap latch once for each reciprocation of the treadle, a threaded rod pivoted to said rack and extending through said block, and means threaded on said rod for connecting the rack directly to the block.

6. In a clutch controlling apparatus, a rack movable to render the clutch operative, means for normally urging the rack to a position to render the clutch inoperative, a snap latch associated with the rack for moving the rack to render the clutch operative, means for disengaging the snap latch from the rack each time the press operates, a treadle actuated block connected to the snap latch, a threaded rod extending through the treadle actuated block and pivoted on the rack, and a pair of thumb nuts threaded on said threaded rod, said threaded rod being movable relative to the treadle actuated block by the means for urging the rack to a position to render the clutch inoperative.

RALPH R. HAWKINS. 

